Skating Around the Issue
by GoldenGirl
Summary: Prepare to be Heart Warmed.


A/N: This fic is written for **Meghan** (abandonedmem on LJ or janeway1390 on FF) as part of the **Holiday Fic Exchange Challenge**. Meghan asked for ice skating, Christmas carols, and a stuffed animal but didn't want the story to include "slash, death, nothing overly fluffy, like "I'm going to get a cavity because it's so sweet" fluffy." The requested pairing was Chuck/Sarah, and the prompt was "Just got lost but we both found we need this more than ever."

I was the pinch hitter for this one so although it was the second fic I had to write under deadline I hope it doesn't show? Also, corny title that I just couldn't resist! Enjoy.

Skating Around the Issue

.

Chuck's ass felt very cold against the ice.

"Don't worry about me!" he told gliding passerby, laughing awkwardly. "Just checking for cracks!"

His ass was cold and it was getting colder.

Chuck had discovered ice skating was not his forte almost as soon as he'd stepped on the ice. It should have been obvious to him—his lanky frame and his too-long limbs and his nonexistent grace did not suit a skating rink. He was clumsy enough on his own without a slippery surface beneath him.

He tried getting back on his feet again, managing an impressive squat, but the blades on his skates were quickly starting to glide of their own accord and in an effort to just shoot up and beat his feet at their own game his legs slipped, skipped, and skedaddled until he finally ended up on his back. (Loudly, and not all together uncomically.)

Well, at least from this vantage point he could appreciate the night sky. "Don't worry about me," he weakly told the passerby, out of his view, but surely wondering about his well-being. Surely. "I'm starting to like it down here…"

And to think ice skating had been his idea. What he should have said was, "Sarah, I will cheer you on from the sidelines while you do your thing on the ice." What he had actually said earlier in the evening (when their surroundings were in too much disarray for him to be thinking clearly) was, "I know! We should go ice skating! Come on, Sarah, we need this more than ever right now."

And just as he thought of her Sarah appeared, hovering above him and eclipsing his starry view.

"Chuck?"she said, her eyes wide. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah," he answered, his voice only slightly pained. "I just got to thinking, the sky is so beautiful this time of night, and what better way to look at it than lying down. In the center of an ice rink. Where the ice water can really seep itself into your jacket."

Sarah grabbed his hand and yanked, and Chuck came up, standing more easily now that he had someone to support him.

"We don't have to skate if you don't want to."

"What!" Chuck protested. "Are you kidding me? I want to. You are like a gold medalist on the ice, by the way. I did not know that was one of your many talents."

"The things you don't know about me…" Sarah teased, smirking as she took both of his hands and pulled him forward, she herself skating backwards.

The rink was small-- and man-made with this being LA and all-- but Chuck had suggested they go here because of something Sarah had mentioned a long time ago about always wanting to be a figure skater. And even if he wasn't having the most fun falling on his ass at least this little trip was getting him in the Christmas spirit again. The two of them had been so busy in the last few days that they'd both nearly forgotten what Christmas was all about. As Sarah led him around the perimeter of the rink Chuck could hear the faint sounds of christmas carols being sung by a group of revelers not too far away. Yes, it was definitely a good thing that they'd gone on this little ice skating excursion.

As if reading his thoughts Sarah said, "I'm really glad we came out tonight. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Chuck replied. "I hope you're not expecting any other christmas presents. Cuz this is it."

"Oh really?" Sarah said, eyebrow dubiously arched. She began skating in a tight circle and Chuck's expression went from casually flirty to cautiously frightened.

"Sarah!" he yelped the quicker she spun them around. "Sarah Sarah Sarah Sarah Sarah!" At this point he could swear they were spinning at g-force levels and Sarah's mischievous cackling wasn't helping matters any. She finally slowed them to a full stop and the two tried to catch their breaths- for two very different reasons.

"I love it when you call my name like that," she said through the last gust of a laugh.

And suddenly Chuck was back to casually flirty again. "Well I'm glad one of us got something out of it." She skated the short distance between them and gripped his jacket's lapel, easily gliding into an easy kiss. Kissing Sarah always made Chuck a little weak in the knees but he had a feeling she'd grabbed onto him to support him as much as herself. And when she pulled back he was happy to find he was still standing.

"I hope you know there is an actual Christmas gift coming," he told her.

"Chuck, I was kidding."

"But you know how much thought I put into my gifts for you."

"Of course," she stated.

In keeping with recent tradition, all of the gifts Chuck and Sarah gave each other had to value up to 20 dollars. This was instated after the year that Chuck gave Sarah a stuffed animal and she in turn gave him an original page from the first issue of _Ex Machina_. It was then he realized that he could never, ever give Sarah anything better than she'd give him.

He still kicks himself for giving her that stuffed animal. Though it _was_ holding that little heart with the words "please don't chuck me" on it. Naturally, he'd thought it was hilarious even if it was made for guys trying to win their girlfriends back.

The christmas' since then had gone along much better, except for this one, which wasn't going exactly as planned.

"When we get home I'm going to call a cleaning service to take care of the place," Sarah said suddenly.

Sarah had gone a little overboard with the decorations and the place had turned into a mess of wrapping paper, candles, ornaments, ribbons, and way too much all-natural garlands leaving an abundance of sap on every surface imaginable. Suffice to say their home looked like Christmas had thrown up all over it. It had been a good effort, trying to spruce up their house for Devon, Ellie, Morgan, and Casey, but neither Chuck nor Sarah were cut out for the stress of hosting a holiday party.

"I think that's a great idea," Chuck answered.

"And then I'm going to call a place that makes homemade dinners and I'm going to order everything on their menu."

"Also good."

"And then we're going to pretend we made the whole thing from scratch."

"Goes without saying."

Sarah took his hand and the two began skating again. "Ok, good," Sarah said, finally starting to sound at ease about the whole thing. "This is going to turn out to be a good Christmas."

"The best," Chuck responded.

He promptly slipped and fell on his ass once again.

THE END.


End file.
